Jake Lehrhoff ’07 was among many Wesleyan students who took an unusual path this summer. Lehrhoff taught Harry Potter-themed classes at Camp Nonesuch in Natik, MA.
“The best part was working off the campers’ overactive imaginations,” Lehrhoff said. “The worst was trying to encourage twelve six- to ten-year-olds to cooperate, but I suppose that is the crux of being a camp counselor or working with children in any arena.”
Lehrhoff spent part of his day facilitating daily Harry Potter-themed classes ranging from Transfiguration (painting rocks to look like animals) and Potions (mixing baking ingredients to make magical potions) to playing Quidditch. While the camp offers traditional summer fare as well such as sailing, Lehrhoff’s department was unique.
While Lehrhoff taught the art of broomstick flying, Jose Marantes, ’06, instructed children in word recognition, phonics and reading comprehension. A clinician at a local learning center, Marantes worked for eight hours a day with children as young as five who struggle with learning difficulties. He says the best part of his job was the one-on-one interaction with students.
“[I was] able to develop relationships, and realize how differently each kid learns,” Marantes said. “[My observations] reflected on the lack of individual attention students get in their respective schools.”
Marantes said his education at Wesleyan, which has emphasized open-mindedness and “thinking outside the box,” helped him come up with creative approaches to teaching. Conversely, his position at the center taught him that creative thinking and open-mindedness alone doesn’t necessarily take you very far.
“[Sometimes] one has to rely on outside job training or experience to put those tools into action,” he said.
Meanwhile, in New York City Josh Nathan-Kazis ’07 found plenty of excitement in an entirely different arena. Nathan-Kazis had an internship writing for “The Gotham Gazette,” an online newspaper published by a non-profit group based in NYC. Nathan-Kazis covered the New York City Council for the paper.
“I think the internship impressed upon me the importance of state legislatures, and the really dirty nature of New York City politics,” Nathan-Kazis said.
He also observed some surprising behavior.
“One day a guy dressed up as Honker from Sesame Street was invited onto the floor, and every single councilmember took a picture with him and honked his nose,” Nathan-Kazis said. He also noted seeing the City Council Speaker singing the chorus of “Elmo’s Song.”
While Nathan-Kazis was writing about politics, Allie Steinlight ’08 was brushing shoulders with the likes of Bill Clinton and John Edwards. A week before beginning her Wesleyan career, Steinlight served as a page on the floor at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Steinlight’s job was to transfer messages between delegates and VIPs, which left her with plenty of time to observe and explore.
“It was incredibly exciting because every time I looked up, I saw senators, journalists and celebrities,” Steinlight said. Having been involved in the Edwards campaign since its inception, she was thrilled to watch from the fourth row as the Vice Presidential candidate delivered his speech.
“All the Edwards people were so excited about Kerry’s choice,” she said, “so the energy in our box and at our parties was incredible.”
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